Dear Senator , I am writing to voice my opinions on the classification of marijuana on federal drug schedules, federal raids on legal dispensaries in other states, and the disrespect for state’s rights to regulate themselves under the ideals of federalism. Federal medical marijuana legalization would allow patients safe access to medicine, generate revenue, create jobs, and restore liberty and justice to the American people. I have chosen to fight this battle, above all others, because I feel that the root causes of this problem have much to do with many of the other problems facing America today. While governments have shunned progressive thought since the days of Socrates, this government has shown its love for logic by embracing new ideas and new ideals. I hope my ideals find you well.

Marijuana is the best medicine for treating certain illnesses, which is likely the reason that pharmaceutical companies lobby against it. Cannabis has been shown to provide relief from the nausea and pain resulting from AIDS and cancer treatments. It has also been proven to treat myriad other ailments including: MS, Crohn’s, Tourette’s, glaucoma, and epilepsy. Subsequently, marijuana smoke isn’t as bad for the human body as tobacco smoke is.

“Available scientific data, that examines the carcinogenic properties of inhaling smoke and its biological consequences, suggests reasons why tobacco smoke, but not cannabis smoke, may result in lung cancer.” (Melamede)

Moreover, there are many ways to extract, synthesize, or cook cannabis which provide, for the patient, a safer method of ingestion. Marijuana, after for more than 4,700 years of medicinal use, has undergone the most rigorous test of all, the test of time (a testament to inaccurate scheduling on the part of the FDA.)

Marijuana has never killed anyone in history but it is on the most restrictive drug schedule there is, next to heroin. This seems like an extreme reaction to a non-lethal threat. There are thousands of plants which have greater toxicity than marijuana yet most of them are legal (tobacco, apples, potatoes, peanuts, etc.). Still, the FDA approves medicines which have proven to kill people, and then they turn around and lambast cannabis. Marijuana is safe, tested, and can be administered safely.

Other advantages to marijuana legalization would be the revenues it would generate and the jobs it would create. In a time of economic turmoil, refusing to explore a course of action which has an obvious potential for increasing government funds and untold employment opportunities, would be inane. Marijuana taxation would generate an estimated $100B annually and it would create jobs in fields from botany to upper management. Marijuana legalization is vital to America’s economic recovery.

Meanwhile, the increased revenues would be complimented by decreased spending on police and prisons which, in turn, benefits civil liberties. Instead of filling the prisons with innocent men, legalization would restore freedom to America. Studies have shown that decriminalization leads to a decrease in use, as was the case in Washington State. So, if prohibition doesn’t accomplish its intended goals, and marijuana law enforcement is eating up limited tax dollars, then we are essentially paying to destroy people’s lives.

Some opponents of marijuana legalization argue that legalization would increase access for minors. Arguments establish that dispensaries will be built near schools giving kids ample opportunity to purchase marijuana similar to the way which teens procure alcohol today. These accusations are thoroughly unjustified. Marijuana is already readily available in every public school in the nation. Legalization would actually prevent teens from acquiring pot by allowing legislators to restrict the distance that a dispensary can be from a school. Opening the doors to marijuana trade in a controlled market allows for regulation. While inaction only encourages the chaotic and violent black market to mitigate the rules of commerce. Hence, legalization would decrease availability to minors and impede crime cartels, leading to a safer environment.

The lax rules and lack of construction codes enjoyed by underground operations are likewise a threat to public safety. When growers jury-rig electrical service, to supply power to the “high intensity discharge” lamps used in cultivation, they create a serious fire hazard. Legalization of marijuana would allow private growers to hire professional contractors to execute the construction of their grow rooms. This is yet another example of how marijuana legalization creates jobs and saves lives.

Please support H.R. 2306 “To limit the application of Federal laws to the distribution and consumption of marihuana, and for other purposes” so that the institutions providing patients with safe and effective medicine aren’t sacked by federal agents over an intergovernmental grievance. With medical marijuana being a potential reality in the near future, immediate action is required to prevent businesses in Massachusetts from becoming the victims of federal bullying. Please be well and thank you in advance for your support.

With legalization of marijuana already on the Nov. ballot, I feel that we should concentrate our efforts on federal regulation and persuading MA voters to vote in favor of legalization. Our direct action campaign should address MA voters as we don't have the capacity to launch a national campaign of this nature. Our form letter should address the federal legislators.

Dear , We are a marijuana legalization advocacy group named Mass Acceptance. We were formed as a school project at Bunker Hill Community College. Our group consists of a few core members and many other supporters. On the behalf of the American people, we ask that you reconsider your stance on marijuana and hemp prohibition. Since marijuana was first scheduled, new evidence and data have emerged refuting virtually all of the claims made against it. There is no attainable fatal dose, its use does not lead to insanity, and its effects on the brain only last as long as the high. This plant is not evil and neither are those who smoke it. Marijuana does not create criminals like less restricted drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine do. All in all, the social, economic and medical benefits of marijuana legalization far outweigh the risks. Yet the FDA has put this natural plant on the most restrictive drug schedule, due to a perceived lack of testing. In terms of testing, most foods we eat on a regular basis have yet to be tested to the extent that marijuana has. So either the FDA should ban the sale of all food products in the United States, until their constituent chemicals are thoroughly tested, or they need to legalize marijuana until a specific risk can be identified. The legalization of cannabis will have only a positive effect on society. It will eliminate the violent black market surrounding cannabis as an illegal “drug”, transforming it into a taxed and regulated multibillion dollar industry. Another benefit of legalization is that it will create jobs in many fields: from botany to upper management (jobs requiring specialized skills) and from distribution to storage (jobs anyone can work). America is in debt and undergoing an economic crisis, it needs tax dollars to help stimulate the economy. There is no better solution to the current economic crisis than the legalization and taxation of marijuana. Furthermore, alcohol prohibition encouraged the formation of crime syndicates based solely around the distribution of illegal alcohol, just as the cannabis prohibition has done. Even now, young kids are being killed over the dealings of cannabis on the black market. Murders and robberies happen over marijuana all too often. The abolition of this prohibition would prevent many pointless deaths from occurring. This ban prevents people who may need or prefer a more natural form of medicine from receiving proper treatment. Instead they are forced to use costly pharmaceuticals with a multitude of possible side effects. Ending marijuana prohibition would lower crime-rates, create an efficient, renewable source of cellulose and hemp fiber, and provide a medicine which is far safer, by comparison, than the already legal alcohol, coffee, and tobacco. We owe it to ourselves and society to legalize marijuana as soon as possible. To help, start by supporting the following legislation: